Are we the police?

I have been wondering this for a long time, and I always assumed that we are not the police but the support for Lindens when it came to the welcome area problems. I mean why give off the impression to the members in the welcome area that we are the police? Since we are there for them NOT only for the emotional support and other helpful services. But Standing there and acting like guards is a little count productive, and only causes members to act anti social at times. Ok i do my rounds at times and offer support to those tht need it. But I also like to give off the impression that we are also friendly and willing to help those that need help when asked. I do call for help when its needed, but why give off the wrong impression.

Yeah, I hate it when you are forced to act as a rule enforcer

Sometimes there are people in HI that just don't want to behave. Most of the time I want to believe that either they just aren't getting the basic rules of politeness or they are having some newbie problems with the UI, but when you try to help and all you get is some rude insult and lots of scorn, something inside my head tells me that a few are plainly griefers...

Those times you really must act as some kind of police, even if it is only to call the Lindens (of course, the only thing you can do is ask them politely to stop and, if they keep doing it, call the Lindens. As much as I keep asking if I can shoot some people I never do and never will ).

I hate enforcing rules also and mostly refuse to do it.

If you see something, call a Linden or make an AR report. (You cant help people if they hate your guts.)

I feel the important difference is the macho power that comes with being a cop. Cops have guns and clubs and cuffs and they use them frequently and they *like* it. I wouldn't worry about begin a cop, if you dont carry weapons and dont like ordering people around. Your still a "helper" then.

I carry weapons, I just don't shoot Hey, they look cool.

But you made me wonder if it is counter productive to wear them in the HI. Newbies might think that I'm some kind of robocop patrolling the place, when in fact I never do more than AR and call Mr. Linden...

I dont think it's that big a deal if you don't look dangerous. Appearance is a subtle thing but I think it obviously affects your reception.

I notice many of the better mentors and Lindens are either "cami and jeans" kind of people, or they affect a cuddly/friendly look. I am sure both help to get the job done more than an imposing "police" type of approach although the "strange techie object" look also breaks the ice well.

I think just in case I'll avoid wearing them in HI in the future. Who knows...

I agree the friendly look will get a much better response than the patroller stance. Just look at Harry with his tiny warthog

As a side note...isn't the intimidation factor of wearing guns/ammo clips/etc pretty much lost in SL? If someone comes up to me and starts trash talking and waving guns about, the most I'm worried about is the minor annoyance of being blown off my land for a few secs before I ban/AR the chump. So many people carry weapons in SL that being intimidated, even by one pretending to be "law enforcement" doesn't seem possible.

Yeah I actually didn't mean to suggest that someone *not* wear guns as policy, I was talking in generalities. "Looking dangerous" is bad, but what that it depends on the environment. In SL you can swing giant phantom hammers through peoples heads and not *necessarily* appear dangerous. Depends on the context.

Also, some newbies might think that the guns are dangerous, because they don't know One day I was building in the sandbox with a couple of friends, and a newbie came to us, asking a few questions. The first thing he said was something like: "So, how do you avoid being shot in this game?"

TheReason I brought this subject up is some mentor are believing they are the police.
I mean who told them this??!??!?!? I been in this group since may 2005 and I been told we are not but that only support the lindens when they are not around.Are we the Police........No..........support help I have always believed.
Thank You for you constructive remarks.
Usagi

The problem is that some people let power (even if it is a very limited and help-oriented one) go to their heads... I observed that when I DMed in Neverwinter Nights: some dungeon masters thought they were gods who deserved to be adored by more common members of the community...

Quite sad, actually.

IMHO, the volunteer selection should be perhaps more restricted, to filter these kind of people. Of course, that's wasier said than done. I myself can't picture a way to find how people are in an effective manner. You just have to hope that they are volunteering for the desire to help others alone.

YOUR TELLING ME I am seeing more and more of these people in the mentors......

When i was told "yes we are the police" i just went.......who in the world told you we are? I don`t know these days the people becoming mentors. There seems very little control in this group, with people playing police rather then doing what mentors are ment to do. How many of there of us now days over 500+?
I am seeing more and more ME ME ME first in this group then ever before........

The " forced to act as a rule enforcer " this not the police but what the words refers to. I wish people would understand the differance.

Torley is the POLICE-ORZ!!

I don't see Live Help as the police, it's kind of like being the guy stood in the tourist information booth. You hand out the maps, point out the cool places and help people who are lost, but if I saw someone trying to steal a car I'd feel obliged to call the police as I hope every like minded citizen would.

Whether or not there should be a resident run police force is another debate, but presonally I like the "belevolent dictatorship" idea, especially since if the dictatorship becomes less benevolent we can all vote with out feet and head off to "Third Life" or whatever LLs future competitor calls it.

How about randomly volunteers are checked, with either Lindens or a group of volunteers pretending to be newbies, and seeing how they are treated? There's no way really to tell if someone is an experienced player or if they've just picked things up quickly. If their greeter/mentor is helpful, all well and good, but if they don't measure up to some set standard, they get varying degrees of follow up, training and/or assistance, up to being kicked off the scheme if they're particularly obnoxious?

Lewis

Well, speaking for Live Help, there is constant Linden oversight. There's always a liason present on the channel, if I get a fact wrong a liaison will jump in and help out and I would imagine if you're consistently bad or rude then that doesn't go un-noticed. They don't need to pretend to be new residents, they just watch how you deal with real new residents.

Well If I wanted to be the policei would have become a female police woman in real life

Here well...you hold the line until a linden shows up but to just stand inthe welcome area and give off the impression of mentors are just law is just not waht LL intented us to be.

A wise friend said sometime ago "It's not your fault, but it is your responsability"

ShakesHead.......unreal......... some just don`t get it

question... how old are you?

just wondering... and a far more direct question... what level of education do you have?

and just out of pure curiosity...

do you enjoy Ziggy?

Usagi, being a volunteer is a huge responsability.

And not only that, its a very big honor.

Jeska and the other lindens cannot possibly attend, or organize mentor activities.

It would be like asking Ben Linden for scripting every object in SL.

Initiative and being proactive is key. As well as cooperation


Also, i suggest that instead of critizicing Tateru's activitites, constructivelly pushing new iniciatives or organizing more content would be even more apreciated. Negative behaviors only retract supporters from your cause.

G'day.